A month ago I wrote a review on Ubuntu's 7.04 version and in it I promised a second look once the final version was to released. Feisty Fawn was released last week and as it seems so far, it is one of the most (if not the most) successful Linux distro release ever. This means that we can't help it but compare it with XP and Mac OS X, after having tested it in 3 laptops and 2 desktops in my lab.

I have been using Linux for some years now, and agree that Linux once was not very userfriendly. But today there is no problem compared to others. Really ...

But for some reason, people not only expect more ease with installing Linux than Windows ... but utter perfection.

Come on people ...

Have you ever tried to install Windows?! That normally takes a long time just to get a basic setup, with looking on drivers on different vendors websites. If they no longer have it online, you have to look through all sorts of obscure websites, and hope that you can find a driver that will work. Trust me ... I have done A LOT of Windows installation at work.

When you finally get Windows to start working, then you begin with the application installation hell, this means cd-keys, activation schemes, dependencies etc. if you are unlucky you can even risk breaking your system. After that, you can start cleaning up the Start Menu mess and Desktop mess that all these applications leave.

The problem for Linux is that there are not any real OEM stuff going on. OSX comes with hardware, most Windows installations follows with hardware, Linux does not. This gives the illusion that Linux is the hardest to install. Dell will be changing that, and hopefully others will follow.

Have you ever tried to install Windows?!
Yes. And when I find drivers they work instead of crashing my computer. Also, hardware comes with cds with drivers for Windows. Just don't throw them away and you don't have to look online.

That's a lie in a lot of cases. I've seen Windows drivers completely hose a system, to the point that safe mode won't work and a full re-install is the only way to go.

Also the CDs that come with the hardware most of the time have drivers so old that most of the features of the hardware aren't even supported by them. ATI is particularly famous for having drivers on the CD that don't drive all the features of their graphics cards.

Just have a look at HPs all in one printer drivers for a good example of drivers that can hose Windows.

Thats the funniest thing I've ever read. I guess you never installed ati drivers before. Trust me installing drivers in windows is anything but smooth. It can be smooth for certain things but for the most part its rough, its tedious and its time consuming. Windows is not easy to install, especially XP, Vista is easier to install and it sees more hardware so it does support some hardware out of the box, but hardly as much as Ubuntu. You still have to go through the process of tracking down drivers for your hardware, and crossing you fingers and hope it works without any issues.